Tabletop Tales: BESM

I've played many different tabletop RPGs in my time.

I've spoken of several of said games here in this very blog.

However, I've yet to talk about BESM.

BESM (Big Eyes, Small Mouth), in the simplest of terms, is THE anime RPG. While other existing games may portray certain types of anime better (mech-based games, for example), BESM is the catch all anime RPG. It's system encompasses, more or less, all anime genres into one game.

You can play anything from a magical girl like Sailor Moon...
 

Moon Fanservice Power!!

...to a mech pilot like in Gundam...

The plot is irrelevant when robots are exploding

...to even a regular student like in some animes!

There's a rape joke here somewhere...

This was an interesting setup in that it allowed GMs and players to run any sort of anime setting in a game, without switching systems to do it. Furthermore, the system allowed fully customizable characters with their extensive "Attributes" section (essentially, all the cool anime powers and abilities).

All in all, it was a very fun system to play. I've enjoyed 99% of all BESM games I've either run as the moderator or played in. We...won't talk about the 1%.

I'm thinking back on the various BESM games I've played in. I distinctly recall my creation of the Atari 1,000,000, a fully functional, autonomously thinking, giant mech. And, when I say "giant" mech, I'm not talking as big as your house. Oh no no, I built that character to be as big as skyscrapers!

Think...a Godzilla-sized robot. That the other players lived inside of.

THAT'S the kind of crazy shit you can do in BESM.

Suddenly, Japan.

You want that cool, ridiculously over-sized, ridiculously powerful sword to eviscerate all foes with? BESM can do that.

You want a legion of admirers following you around and doing your bidding? BESM can do that.

You want, both, the power to burrow and the power to stretch, for no good goddamn reason?!? BESM can do that.

There isn't a lot that BESM left out of character creation/the Attributes section, and even if they did, the book discusses how to add in additional Attributes that may have been left out.

Sadly, I don't have many interesting stories to tell involving BESM games. The games and sessions were fun but nothing story-worthy occurred (except one instance, but that will never be spoken of...). I just wanted to share this game with all of you readers in hopes that you learned about a new game and will give it a try.

Excelsior!